Wuthering Heights   Starring: Tom Hardy, Charlotte Riley, Andrew Lincoln, Burn Gorman and Sarah Lancashire ITV DVD RRP: £19.99 3711531983 Certificate: 15 Available 07 September 2009

In the depths of Wuthering Heights, Heathcliff is tormented by his memory of Cathy, his deceased lover and eternal soul mate. It is 1848 and 18 years after Cathy’s death Heathcliff exacts a nefarious plan of revenge on Cathy’s husband and his neighbour of Thrushcross Grange, Edgar Linton. Heathcliff’s son, Linton, has recently arrived at Wuthering Heights after the death of his mother - Edgar’s sister. Edgar and Cathy’s daughter, Catherine, believes her cousin is many miles away but Heathcliff entraps Catherine at Wuthering Heights where she discovers Linton and learns that Heathcliff plans to force them into marriage and become the rightful owner of Thrushcross Grange. Edgar is close to death and is heartbroken to consider that he may lose his daughter to Heathcliff’s iniquitous control. Catherine’s presence evokes Heathcliff’s early memory of Cathy and his arrival at Wuthering Heights...

Those that have read Emily Brontë's 1847 novel Wuthering Heights (which was originally published under the pseudonym Ellis Bell) may be slightly surprised to see which direction this production has decided to take. Important scenes are dropped, as are several character. While not wholly faithful to the original source, the changes make this dramatisation flow a little more smoothly for a more modern audience.

That's not to say that this production dumbs down in any capacity - far from it. It's great to see that, in a time where reality TV shows are all the rage, serious and well crafted dramas are still being produced.

I'm trying to think if I've witnessed any other characters committed to film who are as shallow, childish, selfish and thoughtless as Cathy and Heathcliffe as depicted here. Break down their scenes and you'll be forced to agree that they rarely think about anyone but themselves - and I mean Heathcliffe thinks about himself, and Cathy about herself, not that the two of them think only of their relationship as a unit. I couldn't think of one instance (other than when they were young) when either of them put someone else's happiness before their own.

On more than a handful of occasions I couldn't help but think of Steve Coogan as Tom Hardy walked around the Moors - not only does he look a little similar, but he seems to have the same accent.

The only extra is a behind the scenes featurette (16 min, 27 sec) which shows us how they managed to created the building of Wuthering Heights in the middle of the Yorkshire Moors. There's also a look at the problems of filming in poor weather conditions.

This is an impressive drama production that even puts some of the BBC's classic adaptations to shame. Fans of period pieces will thoroughly enjoy this.

9

Darren Rea